MAVERICKS NOTESHealthy Harris crucialBy DWAIN PRICEStar-Telegram Staff WriterDALLAS - The health of backup point guard Devin Harris is critical to the Mavericks' long-range goal of winning the NBA title this season.Harris has the ability to increase the tempo while allowing starting point guard Jason Terry to slide over and play the shooting guard spot. Also, Harris' explosiveness in attacking the basket puts pressure on the defense and gets his teammates in position for open looks.But if Harris, who has missed 18 of the past 19 games with a strained left quadriceps, is unable to play, it will put a strain on the Mavs offensively and defensively."We'll miss his speed, his quickness and his ability to penetrate and break the defense down and create shots for others," Terry said. "And also, defensively, extending the court and being able to pick up and pressure full court."Harris expects to test his quadriceps tonight and play 15-25 minutes when the Mavs host the Los Angeles Clippers in the regular-season finale for both teams.He also said he plans to play in the first round of the playoffs, although he felt a pull during some of the transition drills Saturday at practice. That's why he sat out Sunday's game against Utah.Harris said his main concern is "that we can have a reoccurrence and have the leg swell up again with fluid. But I don't think that's a possibility."The Mavs have sorely missed Harris' up-tempo game, going 9-9 during his absence. Coach Avery Johnson said he "can go over 10 reasons why it is important" to have Harris back in the saddle."If we don't have him, we'll have to move forward like we've done all alone," Johnson said. "[Darrell] Armstrong and Marquis Daniels have given us some minutes at the backup point guard spot."[But] Devin takes a lot of pressure off of us in a lot of different ways."No. 61 is on the way?The Mavericks (60-21) can set a franchise record for season wins if they defeat the Clippers.The Mavs also won 60 games during the 2002-03 season."We're going out and we'll shoot for it, and I know our fans want it," Jason Terry said. "I was at my radio show [Monday] night [on 103.3 FM] and all the fans were chanting 61 and MVP and championship."So everybody's psyched up, and it's a fun time to be a Maverick."
ok, you go a few months without playing a game, and see if you arent rusty. All it is is that Harris is rusty. There is no reason right now to put Armstrong over Harris. He is getting the right amount of minutes right now to knock off the rust for the next series.
Yeah, but you need to play him against a team such as San Antonio, Phoenix, or Detroit.By the way, my Asian friend David predicted Harris would have 8, I said 3, and Kyle said 13 (Asian, lolz). He got 7....
Harris gives Dallas a boost off the bench. He is able to play a lot of minutes and keeps Terry's minutes down. Terry seems to play much better when his minutes are limited. He plays smarter and with more energy like tonight. Also the offense seems to flow better with Harris in and probably the best when they are both in. Even if they are undersized they make up for it in quickness and Dallas has good enough help defense in the interior in case guards did post Terry or Harris up.
I know he played alot tonight, and didn't do all that well, and I believe didn't get any assist. Heck, Marquis Daniels played tons of minutes and didn't even Score...Stackhouse however, had a good night.I'm not trying to say anything though.
I guess you were watching a different game than I was. Harris's defense was great and he was able to score. I don't have the stats with me but Harris made a difference. Especially guarding the perimeter which Dallas has been struggling with at times against Memphis. I expect more since this is only his second game back from injury. He should be ready for San Antonio.Stackhouse 2-7 and 2 to's. Harris 3-4. Also Marquis only took 1 shot. If Griffin did that it is being a team player and if Daniels does it than he is not effective. Seems like a double standard to me.
I agree that Stack didnt have a great name. He only had 4 points. Daniels played pretty ok considering he played like 18 minutes and only took 1 shot. He did have about 3 assists and 4 rebounds, and played good defense. I think Daniels only played a lot in game 1 because Howard had foul trouble. I think if Stack keeps playing like this, i would give a little of his playing time to Daniels, not saying Avery will do that.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>I agree that Stack didnt have a great name. He only had 4 points. Daniels played pretty ok considering he played like 18 minutes and only took 1 shot. He did have about 3 assists and 4 rebounds, and played good defense. I think Daniels only played a lot in game 1 because Howard had foul trouble. I think if Stack keeps playing like this, i would give a little of his playing time to Daniels, not saying Avery will do that.</div>Agreed.
All I said was that Harris, a better PG than Terry, to some people on here, didn't have any last night, while a guy that should be our SG according to some people, only had 9 assist.I did see the stat line on Daniels, and saw how many minutes and the other stats he had...I didn't see that he only took 1 shot, and that makes a difference.
Yeah Harris is a little uncomfortable being the playmaker right now. I think he will get more comfortable as the playoffs go on but based on his regular season overall performance he is a better passer than Terry which isn't saying a lot. Daniels was being the playmaker some in this game as well.
I just want to point out that Harris didn't do jack for me today.When we were down early, he was driving the lane, and got blocked several times...some of them in back to back posessions.I love Harris, but it's stuff like that, that makes me think he's not quite ready to run this team.And if he does stuff like that against the Spurs, than it'll be a short series...especially considering that we need him to play to keep Parker in check.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Marvinmartian @ Apr 30 2006, 12:51 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I just want to point out that Harris didn't do jack for me today.When we were down early, he was driving the lane, and got blocked several times...some of them in back to back posessions.I love Harris, but it's stuff like that, that makes me think he's not quite ready to run this team.And if he does stuff like that against the Spurs, than it'll be a short series...especially considering that we need him to play to keep Parker in check.</div>Haha you waited for a bad game from Harris so you can discredit him. I'm waiting for a good game by Stackhouse. So far he has had 3 bad games. He was lucky to have overtime redeem himself with the shot that got the mavs up by 6.
Can we just say the only shooting guard of only worth this series has been Griff. Man our offense picked up great in the 4th quarter when he got subbed in. Too bad Howard don't know how to not pick up stupid fouls. Right now I have to say Stack/Daniels should be limited in minutes and let Griff get them. Our team is just better with him in the game. On Harris, he's struggling but that's given with his injury. It's a good thing he's not fully needed for this series like he is for Spurs. Only thing I see is he's short arming his shots. But man what a great game, I say we got lucky lol but did anyone not think Atkins was going to hit that gimme. I was like OMG Terry just led him to basket and BRICK! I knew if we got into OT, it was ours, Grizz just don't have the mentality and no way we lose after crawling back into game. OT was a start over and Mavs played a totally different game. Let's bring out the brooms and sweep, you know(a saying Gasol had made famous in his press conferences you know)
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rok @ Apr 30 2006, 01:44 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Can we just say the only shooting guard of only worth this series has been Griff. Man our offense picked up great in the 4th quarter when he got subbed in. Too bad Howard don't know how to not pick up stupid fouls. Right now I have to say Stack/Daniels should be limited in minutes and let Griff get them. Our team is just better with him in the game. On Harris, he's struggling but that's given with his injury. It's a good thing he's not fully needed for this series like he is for Spurs. Only thing I see is he's short arming his shots. But man what a great game, I say we got lucky lol but did anyone not think Atkins was going to hit that gimme. I was like OMG Terry just led him to basket and BRICK! I knew if we got into OT, it was ours, Grizz just don't have the mentality and no way we lose after crawling back into game. OT was a start over and Mavs played a totally different game. Let's bring out the brooms and sweep, you know(a saying Gasol had made famous in his press conferences you know)</div>Yeah, Griffin has played the best by far out of any of the shooting guards. you could argue that he has been the 3rd best player this series for the Mavs behind Dirk and Terry. Howard has picked up stupid fouls along with Stackhouse. Harris has been inconsistent, and Daniels has been marginal in the few minutes he's played. Damp and Diop have outplayed Memphis's centers. Griffin had 6 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS. Memphis had 11 total. I agree that we came up lucky in this game with Rok, but Dirk did what superstars do for thier teams. Okay, do you think that flagrant foul called on Dirk was a flagrant?? i dont think it was. He was going for the ball the whole way.
i didnt think it was flagrant either. on the replay he got all ball first and then hit him in the face accidentally while his arm was on the way down.the mavs should send the tape to the league and maybe theyll overturn it
What Dirk did was NOT luck. It's not lucky how well Dirk knew where the three-point line was without looking. The rest of it was just Dirk letting it fly.Howard has been just OKAY in this series. His defense was just OKAY, at least in this game, and that's an overstatement, because he had one offensive foul on one side of the floor 3 minutes into the game, and the next play he fouls a Memphis player on a three!Then in the fourth quarter, he had an offensive foul and a turnover on consecutive possessions, but his game is mostly in the first half, not the second half.For some reason, Josh Howard almost never asserts himself in the second half, so play him the full first half, and let him play important stretches in the second half.But Dirk was just amazing. The Pistons are being blown-out right now, so Dallas might be the last team with a chance at a sweep.And even in the postgame, Avery slithered out the three-lettered word that starts with M for Dirk.
